Coke oven door



L. e. TUCKER COKE OVEN DOOR March 11, 1969 Filed May 1, 1967 Pf/OE ARTFIG. 2

I NVENTOR. L/NWOOD G. TUCKER March 11, 1969 G. TUCKER 3,432,400

COKE OVEN DOOR Sheet,

Flled May 1, 1967 llllwofl INVENTOR. LIA/W000 6, TUCKER BY M Pillar/legUnited States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coke ovendoor is comprised of a marginal door frame having transverse membersthat support door latching mechanisms and a centrally open portion. Adiaphragm covers the centrally open portions and is fastened to themarginal door frame. A plurality of door side stops are mounted to eachlonger side of the door frame, wherefore when the door is latched thedoor side stops engage the door jamb and limit the deflection of thedoor frame as well as the amount of stress placed on the peripheralsealing frame. Further, because the diaphragm is relatively thin thereis less metal in contact with the conventional door plug and,consequently, the door frame receives less heat from the door plug withthe result that there is less distortion of the door due to heat.

Background of the invention The invention relates to coke ovens and moreparticularly to an improved coke oven door of the self-sealing type.

A principal difiiculty in sealing a coking chamber of a horizontal cokeoven battery is providing and maintaining a good metal-to-metal sealbetween the coke oven doors and their respective door jambs. While acoke oven door structure may provide adequate sealing at ambienttemperature, it may not always provide adequate sealing at temperaturesexperienced under in-service conditions. It is particularly important tobe able to maintain a good tight seal between the door frame and thedoor structure at the high temperatures experienced under in-serviceconditions.

A conventional coke oven door is generally a massive single caststructure that comprises a marginal door frame portion and integrallyformed panels disposed between the door frame portion and latch barsupports, Also, conventional coke oven doors are generally provided witha metal sealing ring that is formed into a U-shaped structure which isattached to the door in such a way that a knife edge of one leg of theU-shaped structure bears against a flat surface of the door jamb. Springloaded plungers are used to exert a force against the U-shaped seal ringand urge the knife edge against the door jamb. However, because of theextreme difference in temperature of the door structure when it is cold,or just after fresh coal has been charged into the coking chamber, andjust before pushing the coke from the chamber, it has not been possibleheretofore to effect a good tight eifective seal around the door for allin-service temperature conditions.

The present invention, however, provides a coke oven door structure thatovercomes most of the difliculties experienced in using the doorstructures of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, a coke oven doorfor horizontal coke oven chambers having doorways at the ends of thechambers and door jambs around the margin of the doorways comprises adoor frame having a centrally open portion and a peripheral sealingframe member mounted to the door frame that is coopera ble with aperipheral sealing surface on the door jamb. A relatively thin diaphragmis fastened to the door frame covering the centrally open portion, and aplurality of door side stops are mounted to each longer side of the doorframe. The door side stops engage the door jamb and limit the deflectionof the door frame and reduce the stres in the sealing frame member whenthe door is latched.

For a further understanding of the invention and for advantages andfeatures thereof, reference may be made to the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show,for the purpose of exemplification, a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a coke oven door in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a coke oven door in accordancewith the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a vertical front elevational view of a portion of the door ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IV-1V of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view ofa portion of one side of the door frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates, in a vertical section, a cokeoven door 11 that is comprised of a generally open rectangular doorframe 13 and a diaphragm closure plate or membrane 15 that is securedover the opening in the door frame 13 to seal the door 11 against theleakage of gases and heat from the coke with which it may be associated.

Secured to the inner surface of the diaphragm or membrane 15, as by capscrews 17, is a conventional sealing frame designated generally by thenumeral 19. The conventional sealing frame 19 is rectangular in shapeand is of such a size that it surrounds in spaced apart relation aconventional door plug 21 that is also secured in the usual mannerwithin conventional liner retainers 23. Each liner retainer 23 issecured to upper 25 and lower 27 latch bar supporting structures and toconventional upper 29 and lower 31 lifting hook structures.

The conventional sealing frame 19 comprises a flexible U-shaped metalsealing section 33 that is secured to the peripheral door frame andterminates in an inwardly extending sealing knife edge 35 which engagesa fiat planar sealing surface 37 on the exterior of the door frame 39.

The door frame 13 also includes conventional spaced apart marginalspring pressured plungers 41 operating in recesses 43 in the door frame13 with springs 45 that are adjustable by a screw 47 for conforming thesealing knife edge 35 to the sealing surface 37 of the door frame 39.

The sealing surface 37 of the door frame 39, however, does not remainplanar under conditions of high in-surface temperature.

When the coke oven battery is in operation, the portion of the door jambthat is nearest the coking chamber itself is considerably hotter thanthe portion of the door jamb that is exposed to the ambient temperatureand which is located furthest from the coke oven chamber. Consequently,the door jamb under in-service temperature conditions assumes an arcuateshape characterized by the fact that the upper and lower extremities ofthe longer vertical sides of the door jamb extend further out from thecenter of the coke oven chamberthan the mid or central vertical portionof the door jamb. Consequently, the U-shaped metal sealing section 33and the knife edge 35 must also assume the same arcuate curvature if thesealing frame is to provide an adequate door seal. Heretofore, themassive unitary cast doors of the prior art have been constructed insuch a way that the door frame could not readily conform to the arcuateshape of the door jamb; consequently, under in-service temperatureconditions the knife sealing edge 35 could not provide an adequate sealfor gases and heat.

A typical door 49 of the prior art, illustrated in FIG. 2, is describedin Patent 3,032,483 and includes a unitary door body 51 that is amassive cast structure having a flat central portion 53 of significantlygreater thickness than the thin diaphragm closure plate 15 of the door11. The door 49 of the prior art has an integrally formed marginalflange portion 55 in which and to which the usual other operatingequipment of the door 49 are attached. One reason why the doors of theprior art, such as door 49, do not provide a satisfactory seal underin-service temperature conditions, is due to the fact that the door body51 is so massive and so rigid that it is not flexible enough to readilyconform to the arcuate shape of the door jamb when heated to in-servicetemperatures.

In contrast to the door 49 of the prior art, the door 11 of theinvention has a relatively flexible marginal door frame 13 and arelatively thin diaphragm plate 15 which is secured to the door frame 13in any suitable manner, as by fasteners 17. Thus, there is some relativemovement between the door frame and the door diaphragm. But, theprincipal advantage of the door 11 of the present invention is that itsconstruction with th door frame 13 and separately attached diaphragm 15is significantly more flexible than the door of the prior art.Therefore, the door frame 13 is more readily conformable to the arcuateshape of the door jamb.

Actually, in the taller coke ovens that are being constructed at thepresent time, the door frame 13 may be more flexible than is desired.Consequently, the U-shaped sealing frame 19 may be unduly distorted whenthe door is latched unless some preventive measure is taken to limit theamount of deflection of the door frame 13. To obviate any unduedistortion of the U-shaped sealing frame 19, there is provided aplurality of door side stops on each of the longer vertical sides of thedoor frame 13. The door side stops 57 are comprised of a rectangularbase portion 59 (FIG. and a vertical rectangular stop portion 61 that iswelded to, or integrally form with, the base portion 59. The baseportion 59 is provided with holes through which bolts or other suitablfasteners 63 pass to secure the side stops 57 to the door frame 13. In atypical door 11 of the invention, there are two spaced apart door sidestops 57 attached to each of the longer vertical sides of the doorframes 13. In some applications, however, more or less number of doorside stops may be used if desired.

From FIG. 4, it will be noticed that bolts 17 which secure the U-shapedmetal sealing section 33 to the door frame 13, also secure the diaphragmto the door frame 13. Between the diaphragm 15' and the sealing section33, there is a sealing ring gasket 65 that effectively seals thediaphragm 15 and sealing section 33 against leakage of hot gases fromthe coking chamber.

The door 11 is also provided with th usual adjustable corner door stops(not shown), in addition to the two door side stops 57. Thus, therelatively flexibl door frame 13, when latched, deflects sufficiently toallow the sealing section 33 and knife edge 35 to conform to the arcuatedoor jamb, but the corner and door side stops 57 limit the deflection ofthe door frame so as not to unduly distort and overstress the U-shapedsealing section 33 to such an extent that it is no longer effective insealing against the door jamb sealing section 37.

In the door 11, the liner retainers 23 Which support the door plug 21are secured to the door frame 13 at the top and bottom, and to one ortwo spaced apart cross members 67 which link the vertical side portionof the door frame together and which support the latching bar mechanisms25, 27. Intermediary the main supports for the liner retainers 23, theycontact the thin diaphragm plate 15 which does not have great heatretentive characteristics, but which readily radiates heat from the doorplug and liner retainers to the atmosphere. Thus, the liner retainers 23transmit heat to the door frame 13 only at the zones of support and notthrough the entire door structure, as is characteristic of the prior artdoors. Consequently, there is less distortion of the door 11 due to heatthan in doors of the prior art because less metal of the door 11 is incontact with the plug 21 and liner retainers 23.

A feature of the present coke oven door is that it is a compositestructure with a peripheral door frame and a relatively thin diaphragmcovering the central open portion of the door frame. The door of theinvention is lighter in weight than conventional coke oven doors and isless affected by heat than the monolithic type doors of the prior art. Afeature of the present coke oven door is that those surfaces which arein direct contact with the door plug and liner retainers are thinner andtherefore less liable to distort since the thinner members retain lessheat than the thicker members of prior art doors. The door of thepresent invention, and particularly the door frame, is more flexibleand, is more readily conformable to the arcuate heated door jamb.Further, the knife edge portion of the U-shaped sealing section, mountedto the door frame of the present invention, more readily conforms to thearcuate heated door jamb and is more effective as a gas-tight seal.

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degreeof particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only as an example and that the scope of the invention is definedby what is hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A door for a coke oven having door jambs compris- (a) generallyrectangular marginal door frame comprised of a pair of spaced longerside members and a pair of spaced shorter end members connectingtogether said side members encompassing a large centrally open portion;

(b) a relatively thin diaphragm secured to the frame to close said openportion whereby said door is flexible and conformable to said door jambwhen said jamb becomes deformed by heat;

(0) a flexible sealing member around said frame to seal said frame tosaid jamb; and

(d) stop means mounted to each of said longer sides at locations remotefrom the corners of said frame and cooperating with said door jamb tolimit the flexure of said door frame to relieve said sealing of fiexuralstresses and to maintain an effective seal between said door and saidjamb.

2. The structure of claim 1 including:

(a) means for gas sealing the connecion of said diaphragm to said doorframe whereby said door is impervious to the passage of gases.

3. The structure of claim 1 including:

(a) a plurality of door side stops mounted to the longer sides of saiddoor frame and disposed in spaced apart relation, said side stops beingadapted to engage said door jamb and thereby limit the deflection ofsaid door frame when the same is latched.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,126,239 8/1938 Beimann 2022482,478,215 8/1949 Van Ackeren 202248 2,800,435 7/1957 Homan 2022482,965,550 12/1960 McClure 202248 3,032,483 5/ 1962 Van Ackeren 202248NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner.

D. EDWARDS, Assistant Examiner.

